I would tend to defer to Brendan and Eric on medical matters, because they appear to have more medical training than I do. There is a skin cleanser hospitals often use for people who have staph wounds, called Dakins Solution. It is a mixture of plain Chlorox Chlorine and a buffer (Epsom Salts, I think). You can purchase it over-the-counter in some drugstores, although it might have to be special ordered, and there is also a recipe for it on the internet somewhere. Anyone who suspects they might have a staph skin infection could cautiously use that on a small lesion or two to see what happens. If it heals up, it can be used on other spots. If acne is a problem, Cetaphyl skin cleanser is non-comedonic. It is also gentler than soap on healing skin, and can be partially left on as a moisturizer. A lot of dermatologists recommend it. Most drugstores have it, and BJ's (and probably Sam's club) sell it in larger quantities maybe a bit cheaper. You have to be gentle with skin. If you scrub it too hard with harsh things, you can make a suspected infection worse, or cause one that wasn't previously there. The "acid mantle" it forms to repel germs should not be removed by over-washing. I read somewhere that doctors used to think that the bacteria on peoples'skin stayed pretty much the same, but they are beginning to believe that it shifts and changes just like any other ecosystem. How much sleep you get, what you eat, where you go, what pets you have, and what you do all affect skin health. I knew a woman with terrible eczema who lost all of her eczema after she married. Apparently, though, you can carry a particular form of staph for at least a year, because if someone comes down with indications of MRSA (a tough variety of staph) within a year after an operation, the hospital where the person was operated on tends to be assumed to be the source. We have lots of bacteria on our skin, and much of it is probably neutral or beneficial, protecting us from worse things. One of the problems with antibiotics is that we lose much of our good bacteria, internally and externally, when we take them. It is always a good idea to be especially attendant to hygeine and avoidant of places with a lot of unfamiliar bacteria (such as public pools, etc.) for awhile after undergoing antibiotic therapy. Some people with bacterial problems find taking things like yoghurt and buttermilk to be helpful.

This is what my tube of Rex-Eme says. Advanced Cream For dry skin conditions, redness from flaking, chapped, chafed skin, and may other irritating skin conditions caused from dryness. User testemonials on file. Incredibly effective yet gentle. You will see the difference overnight in skin tone and texture improvement, as it penetrates and promotes better feeling skin. Indredients Comphor, Emulsifiers,, Eucalyptol, Hydrolized Lanolin, Menthol, Mineral Oil, MineralWax, Petrolatum, Phenol, Propylene Glycol, Purified Water, Resorcinol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). Guess you better not try this, Mallory. But, DD uses it, and her SO's niece had a really nasty patch on the inside of her elbow last summer that they used it on every day of the month she spent with them, and by the time she left, it was practically gone. Tami

Ruthieg...I can't answer for Michelle...but I can tell you that I, personally, wasted large sums of money trying every lotion/cream/salve that was recommended by a pharmacist and/or dermatologist. The insidious thing about eczema and psoriasis is that not everything works for everybody and recommendations from real live sufferers are my best sources for tried and true products so I return the informational kindness forward when I'm able. This is a wonderfully helpful forum for those in need of actual experience info and I, for one, hope it continues to be for those in need. Anne

oceanna: Thank you for passing along the related thread. Poor little baby! I was very lucky with all my three babies that they did not have these problems--probably because I breastfed and delayed introduction on solids, esp. dairy which is where my problems were. I was able to clear my food allergies through NAET, when about 5-years ago I suddenly became sensitized to many foods, and today eat whatever I want. I think I cleared my DD also through NAET, but with environmental/chemical sensitivies we have not had much success. We've been dealing with this for over 2-years now and have tried many different things so while my goal is still to uncover and correct the root of the problem we found it was like layers of an onion, you peel one away only to find another. It's been a long road for DD and she gets very discouraged, esp. when I alter her diet too much and with little improvement. My DH and I did look at the food intolerances for the different races and blood types and found it quite fascinating, though going that route would be a last resort which we could possibly try over the summer. Right now she is on homeopathy, which aggravates her condition in the short term, so I don't want to change too many things at once. With my DD she has more scabby patches from scratching in various stages of healing. Probably the worst trigger though are her shin guards--she plays competitive soccer and is in spring season. I do not have the heart to pull her out so can relate to the comments about exercise induced asthma. In fact, DD has a few girls on her team with that condition and always tells me she is glad she only has eczema as at least she does not have to sit out due to an asthmatic attack in a game. On the bedding front, I was able to find some bedding in both Pottery Barn Kids and PB teen which is Oeko-tex certified plus some all cotton duvet inserts (both summer and winter weights) from Cuddledown, depending on if she prefers a duvet or quilt. I plan to show it to her this weekend and am crossing my fingers she'll find something she likes.